WeDoctor and GSK Consumer Healthcare Launch Strategic Partnership to Innovate Bone Disease Patient Care Model

On November 9, at the 4th China International Import Expo (CIIE), WeDoctor Group and GSK Consumer Healthcare signed a strategic cooperation agreement, officially launching the “Bone Health China” strategic partnership project. Both parties will leverage their respective advantageous resources to jointly advance education, screening, and management of bone diseases, primarily osteoporosis, bringing innovative medical technologies and service models to benefit more people in grassroots communities and comprehensively improving public health levels.

WeDoctor Group and GSK Consumer Healthcare Sign Strategic Cooperation Agreement

Osteoporosis has become a major health concern for individuals aged 50 and above in China. According to the first national epidemiological survey on osteoporosis, the prevalence of osteoporosis is 19.2% among those aged 50 and older, rising to 32.0% among those aged 65 and older. Furthermore, as stated in the "Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Osteoarthritis in China (2021 Edition)," there are over 300 million patients with osteoarthritis worldwide, and the overall prevalence of primary osteoarthritis among Chinese individuals aged 40 and above is as high as 46.3%.

Meanwhile, the slow progression of osteoporosis has led to public complacency and insufficient disease awareness. The aforementioned survey results indicate that the awareness rate of diagnosis among osteoporosis patients aged 40–49 years was only 0.9%, and it was merely 7.0% among those aged 50 years and older. Furthermore, the awareness rate of osteoporosis-related knowledge among individuals aged 20 years and older was only 11.7%, with merely 2.8% having undergone bone mineral density testing. There is an urgent need to enhance public attention to bone health and promote screening.

As planned, WeDoctor will partner with GSK Consumer Healthcare to promote the widespread adoption of basic bone mineral density testing by integrating it into WeDoctor’s “Mobile Hospital” and the chronic disease management centers of regional medical consortia. This initiative aims to combine high-quality medical resources with digital health services, leveraging the accessibility and convenience of the “Mobile Hospital” alongside the full-lifecycle management model of chronic disease centers to deliver bone health education and comprehensive, end-to-end health management for patients at the primary care level.

Serving Grassroots Communities

It is reported that the “Mobile Hospital,” independently developed by WeDoctor, consists of three components: “vehicles, kits, and stations” (cloud mobile clinics, cloud medical kits, and healthcare workstations), primarily serving grassroots communities. The cloud mobile clinic, hailed as a “secondary hospital on wheels,” is equipped with intelligent diagnostic systems, medical collaboration systems, cloud-based Hospital Information Systems (HIS), and smart devices such as ultrasound and electrocardiogram (ECG) units. It enables collaborative completion of 53 specific tests and examinations across seven major categories with primary care institutions, covering standardized diagnosis and treatment protocols for 100 diseases. This brings a comprehensive suite of services—including examination, testing, diagnosis, prescription, and medication dispensing—directly to patients’ doorsteps. Meanwhile, the portable cloud medical kit not only performs seven types of checks, including ECG, blood pressure, and blood oxygen saturation, facilitating home visits by primary care physicians for health screenings and follow-ups, but also supports tasks such as family doctor contract signings and resident health record establishment.

The WeDoctor Chronic Disease Management Center is an integrated “online + offline” and “in-hospital + out-of-hospital” chronic disease management service system built upon a Chronic Disease Medical Consortium. It establishes dedicated functional zones within physical hospitals, including chronic disease consultation rooms, management areas, and health education sections. Leveraging its internet hospital platform, it provides chronic disease patients with end-to-end services such as online follow-up consultations, electronic prescription renewals, medical insurance payments, and medication delivery. This approach not only significantly improves the healthcare experience for chronic disease patients but also addresses challenges in achieving continuous and effective disease management, as well as difficulties faced by patients in remote areas or those with limited mobility in accessing medical care and obtaining medications.

Li Bing, Vice President of WeDoctor Group and General Manager of the Pharmaceutical Consortium Business Group (first from left), delivered a speech.

“WeDoctor has been exploring innovative models in China’s primary healthcare sector, with service models such as the Mobile Hospital and the Chronic Disease Medical Consortium providing comprehensive solutions to address the challenges faced by grassroots populations in accessing medical care.” At the signing ceremony, Li Bing, Vice President of WeDoctor Group and General Manager of the Pharmaceutical Consortium Business Group, stated, “Leveraging WeDoctor’s platform and resource advantages accumulated over more than a decade, combined with GSK Consumer Healthcare’s deep insights and professional health education expertise in bone health, this strong partnership will effectively break down regional barriers caused by the uneven distribution of medical resources. It will help enhance the standardization of diagnosis and treatment for bone diseases at the primary care level, enabling residents in grassroots communities to enjoy convenient healthcare services right at their ‘doorstep.’”

According to reports, by the end of 2020, WeDoctor’s “Mobile Hospital” initiative had reached 28 million people across 68 counties in 12 provinces throughout China. This strategic partnership will use Henan Province as a pilot site, leveraging the Mobile Hospital to penetrate rural areas and provide rural residents with bone health data screening, online diagnosis, and chronic disease management services such as long-term follow-up. Meanwhile, using the Chronic Disease Management Center established by WeDoctor in Tai’an City, Shandong Province as another pilot, the initiative will offer bone disease education, screening, and health management services to patients with chronic conditions. The first phase is expected to cover approximately 200,000 chronic disease patients.

Address by He Yajun, General Manager of GSK Consumer Healthcare’s Nutrition Category in China

“In primary care and rural areas with limited medical resources, public awareness of bone health and the importance of regular bone mineral density testing remains relatively low, yet bone health issues often impose significant burdens on individuals and their families,” said He Yajun, General Manager of GSK Consumer Healthcare’s Nutritional Supplements Category in China. “As China’s largest digital healthcare service platform, WeDoctor has pioneered an innovative model that leverages digital tools to empower primary care and strengthen the foundational ‘safety net’ of public health. Meanwhile, GSK Consumer Healthcare has remained committed to a people-centric approach, enhancing everyday health for the general public. Through this collaboration, we hope to jointly help patients in more regions raise their awareness of bone health and improve their quality of life.”